Is any breed docile AND a great layer?

[lazy gardener]

LOL - things are different for everyone, my Barred Rock hens were mean as sin, but I could very well have gotten a bad line. I only got them the once, from one place.

But I have gotten Easter Eggers several times from different sources. And while they're not amazing layers - they are slow to start and average 5 a week - I've found that once they finally do start, they just keep going, and going, and going. They are the last to stop laying in winter and first to start back up again, summer heat and storms don't put them off and my current oldest bird is out of an EE hen, 7 years old and the one who has steadily given me at least an egg a week while everyone else dropped out completely to molt.

You made me laugh. I'm very pleased with the mellow temperament of my PBR. And they lay a nice big egg. I've found that EE are like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get. My first EE started laying at 16 weeks, and were wonderful layers. The EE I got from a hatchery last spring is a knucklehead. She's always in the wrong place at the wrong time. To my knowledge she has not yet laid an egg, though she is 10 months old. If I had not had prior positive experience with EE, I'd say they were about as useless as Silkies. My home bred EE are nice layers.

 

[K813ZRA]

I would agree with the suggestion of Barred Rocks but I only have one so I do not have a large sample size. Mine lays an egg 5-6 days a week, even in the winter. She is super friendly too and always comes to me for hand feeding and lets me pet and pick her up. She is nice to the other chickens as well but does not let them bully her.

By far my favorite bird out of all of the breeds I have and that is more than a few.

 

[PirateGirl]

I randomly ended up with a Delaware that I am pleasantly surprised with. Bottom of the pecking order. Lays consistently. They are bred to produce, and if they don't, they get quite heavy and can make a good meal.

 

[Rye]

So many people say leghorns are flighty, nervous, and bullies. I often wonder how many of those people have actually owned leghorns or have been around some quality stock. I find them very active birds, but other than that not much different than other breeds. In fact, in the egg coop the leghorns get picked on from the new hampshires and seem about equal with the easter eggers.

You don't go into their pen flailing your arms around and they are just fine. Curious and smart (for a chicken) that lay lots of eggs on little feed.

In all honesty you'll get lots of opinions, and Henderson's chart isn't much more than his experiences and opinions. Different lines of the same breed are going to be different and nothing is guaranteed.

For a fantastic egg layer that's pretty mellow, the red and black sexlinks are hard to beat.

 

[Henrik Petersson]

So many people say leghorns are flighty, nervous, and bullies. I often wonder how many of those people have actually owned leghorns or have been around some quality stock. I find them very active birds, but other than that not much different than other breeds. In fact, in the egg coop the leghorns get picked on from the new hampshires and seem about equal with the easter eggers.

You don't go into their pen flailing your arms around and they are just fine. Curious and smart (for a chicken) that lay lots of eggs on little feed.

In all honesty you'll get lots of opinions, and Henderson's chart isn't much more than his experiences and opinions. Different lines of the same breed are going to be different and nothing is guaranteed.

For a fantastic egg layer that's pretty mellow, the red and black sexlinks are hard to beat.

My parents owned some when I was a kid. They were always my least favorite chickens because they were such *drumroll* chickens.

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

What age do you plan on getting these birds? If you get day old chicks and you socialize them a lot then they will be very friendly. I had 2 white leghorn pullets that were the sweetest things and they’d follow me around so much that it got annoying. They were the new girls in the flock and lower down in the pecking order. Brown Leghorns are almost as good of a layer as their white leghorn counterparts and they come in a rose comb variety which would make them cold hardy. Good luck with whichever breed you choose.

 

[Henrik Petersson]

What age do you plan on getting these birds? If you get day old chicks and you socialize them a lot then they will be very friendly. I had 2 white leghorn pullets that were the sweetest things and they’d follow me around so much that it got annoying. They were the new girls in the flock and lower down in the pecking order. Brown Leghorns are almost as good of a layer as their white leghorn counterparts and they come in a rose comb variety which would make them cold hardy. Good luck with whichever breed you choose.

Adults! We don't want them to get killed.

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

Adults! We don't want them to get killed.

If you’re getting adults it will be very hard to tame the Leghorns unless they are already human friendly. Faverolles are a good breed to persue.

 

[igorsMistress]

Australorps are sweet and prolific layers. My Welsummer is sweet but does take 2 or 3 days off from laying each week.

 

[AllenK RGV]

We have a flock of brown layer hybrids and a mixed breed hen. The mixed breed hen is docile and a little bullied, and I'm thinking about buying 2 docile hens to be her companions.

I'd prefer if these docile hens also lay a lot of eggs.

Now, all prolific egg layers I've seen are either hyperactive bullies (brown layer hybrids) or skittish nervous wrecks that get a heart-attack if you approach them from a mile away (Leghorn). Whereas all docile hens only lay an average amount of eggs (Brahma, Orpington).

Is there any breed that is both considered docile and a great layer? I'm leaning towards Faverolles, more than one person have claimed they lay a lot (especially in winter), and they are definitely docile. They're fairly easy to come by in my parts as well.

I am clueless, mine aren't docile and aren't meant to lay well, but I will link you my canned response which comes from the Livestock Conservancy. I hope you enjoy it and from what you are asking you do not want any of their "ACTIVE" breeds. Best of luck in meeting your goals!